Messi leaves his footprint at Mumbai’s exalted venue

The football icon received a signed shirt from Tendulkar during a grand show at the Wankhede

- Shahid Judge

Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar presents his jersey toArgentine footballer Lionel Messi at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai Sunday.

(AN)

The hallowed cricket venue that Wankhede Stadium reverberated on Sunday evening as thousands of fans swapped their India blue to hail Messi, pulling on Argentina’s white and sky blue shirt to hail football's greatest star.

Wankhede is where Ravi Shastri hit six sixes in an over, Sachin Tendulkar said an emotional goodbye to his playing career, Virat Kohli hit his 50th One-Day International century and India won their second men’s ODI World Cup.

On the second day of his GOAT India Tour, as Messi, along with his Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez descended here, it proved a grand occasion for cricket and football royalty to meet.

Tendulkar, whose legacy is marked by a life-sized statue placed next to a stand named after him, brought in a piece of history to the venue — a replica of the dark blue jersey he wore during the victorious 2011 World Cup campaign. That cherished piece of signed memorabilia was a gift to Messi, arguably the most famous wearer of the No.10 jersey.